Spring-lock



(No Model.)

B. E. ADKINS. SPRING LOCK.

No. 600,701. Patented Mar. 15,1898.

llNrrn FFICE.

ROBERT E. ADKINS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SPRING-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 600,701, dated March 15, 1898.

Application fil d June 1, 1897. Serial No. 639,02 (No model.)

V citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-Locks, of which the following is a specification.

The invention consists in the features of novelty that are hereinafter fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of a lock embodying my invention, the back plate of the lockcase being omitted and one of the parts which is carried thereby being indicated by dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation thereof, the section being taken in irregular planes. Fig. 3 is a detail view of some of the parts shown in Fig. 2, showing their positions as the door is just being opened or closed. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the bolt. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the detent for holding the bolt retracted and its actuating mechanism. Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6 6, Fig. 1, showing in detail the means for supporting the rocker of the detent. Fig. 7 is a face view of the keeper. Fig. Sis aface view of a keeper of modified construction.

A represents the lock-case; B, the keeper; 0, the bolt, and D the spring by which the bolt is projected when not restrained by the means hereinafter described for holding it retracted. The projecting portion a of the bolt is without any bevel on its outer face. Its rear end 0 works in a guide 0t, which is preferably cast with the case. Near its rear end it is provided with a pair of lugs c, which project toward the front a of the case and are engaged, respectively, by a pair of arms E, which are carried by and project in opposite directions from the spindle F of the knob G. This is a well-known means for causing the bolt to be retracted by rotation of the knob G in either direction.

The lock has means for automatically looking the bolt in projected position, and a feature of the invention consists in providing means under the control of the knob by which the bolt is retracted for unlocking it. To this end the bolt is provided with a socket into which projects the extremity f of the spindle F, and the spindle is made capable of endwise movement for the purpose of moving its extremity f into or out of engagement with the bolt. Its engagement with the bolt is effected automatically by a coiled spring II, which surrounds a reduced portion of the spindle, bears at one end against the shoulder resulting from this reduction, and bears at the other end against an internal shoulder of the hollow boss I, through which the spindle passes. Its disengagement may be effected by an outward pull upon the knob.

In order to permit the bolt to be retracted by the use of a key, it is provided on its inner face, near its rear end, with a lug 0 which is located in the path of an arm J, pivoted to the rear plate a and connected by a flat post J or any other suitable means with the barrel or cylinder in which the tumblers are disposed. This barrel or cylinder is not shown in the drawings for the reason that it forms no part of the present invention and its con struction is well understood by those skilled in the art. Before the bolt can beretracted by this arm J it is of course necessary to disengage the spindle F from it, and to this end I dispose within the opening of the bolt a short pin K, which is secured to one end of a plate-spring K, the other end of which is secured to the bolt. The formation of this spring is such that normally it holds the pin K in the position shown in Fig. 2t'. 6., projecting some distance from the face of the bolt and only partly into the opening. This spring is so disposed that as the arm J moves from the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1 in moving toward the lug c it engages the spring K and forces it toward the bolt, and in doing so it forces the pin K farther .into the opening of the bolt, causing it to engage the end of the spindle and force the latter out of the opening, the pin K being of course sufficiently long to accomplish this.re sult.

In order to lock the bolt in retracted position, it is provided with a notch so disposed that when retracted it may receive a pin L, carried by a lever L, which is secured to the spindle m of a small knob M. This lever L is prevented from moving at random by a spring N, which bears against the side of the spindle 072, said spindle being provided with IOO two fiat surfaces, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, so disposed that when it is in one position the spring will bear against one of them and when it is in the other position the spring will bear against the other of them, thereby holding the pin L either in or out of engagement with the bolt, as the case may be.

0 is the part which is herein called the rocker and which carries the detent for holding the bolt retracted when the door is open. It is disposed in an opening in the face-plate a of the lock-case and is supported by a removable pin P, which is inserted in a socket in the face-plate a through the opening through which the bolt projects, the arrangement being such that when the bolt is in place in the lock it will engage the pin P and hold it in place. On the other hand, when the bolt is removed the pin may also be removed for the purpose of reversing the position of the rocker, for a purpose that will appear hereinafter. This rocker is capable of a limited oscillatory movement about its center and is so shaped that when at one extremity of such movement a portion 0 upon one side of its center will project from the face-plate and when at the other extremity ofsuch movement a portion 0 upon the other side of its center will project from the faceplate, their action being reciprocal. The portions 0 0 are hereinafter called tappets. The rocker is held in whichever of these two positions it may be by means of a spring Q, so disposed that it exerts its pressure toward the center of movement, so that when the point of contact between the spring and rocker passes a line drawn from the axis of the rocker to the fixed point from which the spring exerts its force the spring will tend to accelerate its movement in the direction in which it is for the time being moving and prevent its return movement. This rocker is so disposed with relation to the keeper B that as the door opens the tappet 0, which is for the time being projecting from the faceplate, will come in contact with the keeper and will be forced inward, thereby causing the other tappet 0 to be projected, as shown in Fig. 3. The spring Q, acting as described, will hold the rocker in this position (with its tappet 0 withdrawn and its tappet 0 projected) until the door is again closed, whereupon after the tappet ohas passed the keeper the tappet 0 will come in contact with the keeper and will be forced inward, thereby again projecting the tappet o, as shown in Fig. 2. It is this oscillatory movement of the rocker which is utilized, first, in moving the detent B into engagement with the bolt for holding it retracted while the door is open, and, secondly, in tripping the detent and permitting thebolt to be projected as the door closes. The bolt is provided with a shoulder r, in front of which the detent R is moved when the rocker is moved in the act of opening the door. The shoulder 1' is preferably the result of a notch cut in the side of tent B. may pass into engagement with the front side of the shoulder in the manner described. This, as before suggested, holds the bolt in retracted position while the door is open and until in the act of closing the door the rocker is moved in the manner already described, so as to move the detent out of engagement with the bolt.

As the parts are shown in the drawings, they are arranged for application to a door that opens inward. To make the lock applicable to a door which opens outward, the bolt is provided with a second shoulder r, the shoulders r r being disposed upon opposite sides of the center of motion of the rocker, and the rocker is provided with a second detent R, which when it is reversed will engage the shoulder r and hold the bolt in retracted position in the manner already described. For an outward-opening door it is also necessary to change somewhat the construction of the keeper, and a keeper suitable for such a door is shown in Fig. 8.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a lock, the combination with a bolt,

a spring for projecting it, and means for retracting it in opposition to the force of the spring, of a rocker carrying a detent adapted to engage the bolt when in retracted position, and a pair of tappets for actuating said rocker, said tappets being so disposed that as the door is being opened one of them will engage a fixed part and actuate the rocker, causing the detent to engage the bolt, and as the door is being closed the other of them will engage a fixed part and actuate the rocker, causing the detent to disengage the bolt, substantially as set forth.

2. In a lock, the combination with a bolt, a spring for projecting it, and means for retracting it in opposition to the force of the spring, of a reversible part having a pair of tappets so disposed that as the door is being opened or closed one of them engages and is moved by a fixed part, and means actuated by said tappets for engaging and disengaging the bolt, substantially as set forth.

3. In a lock, the combination with a bolt and a spring for projecting it, and means for retracting it in opposition to the force of the spring, said means includinga knob, of means for engaging the bolt and locking it in projected position, said locking means being under the control of the knob so that by manipulating the knob the bolt may be both unlocked and retracted, substantially as set forth.

4. In a lock, the combination with a bolt, and a spring for projecting it, of means for retracting it in opposition to the force of the spring, said means including an endwise-movable spindle adapted to engage the bolt and lock it when projected, substantially as set forth.

5. In a lock, the combination with a bolt and a spring for projecting it, of means for retracting it in opposition to the force of the spring, said means including an e11dwise-1novable spindle, and means under the control of the operator for locking the bolt when pro- 3 ected, said means including the spindle which is adapted to engage the bolt, and a spring for moving said spindle into engagement with the bolt, substantially as set forth.

6. In a lock, the combination with a bolt having an opening through it, and a spring for projecting the bolt, of means for retracting it in opposition to the force of the spring, said means including an endWise-Inovable spindle adapted to project into the opening of the bolt, a spring for moving said spindle endwise in one direction, apin projecting into the opening of the bolt and adapted to engage the end of the spindle, a spring carrying said pin, and a part adapted to be operated by connection with the key for engaging said pin and causing it to disengage the spindle from the bolt, substantially as set forth. ROBERT E. ADKINS.

Witnesses:

L. M. HOPKINS,

I. CROSS. 

